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What's sad is we saw it coming, just like we did with Bob Dole, and so many of us insist on purity that not enough of us could settle on strong candidate. And, as usual, when you refuse to take a stand you end up with what's left over. And that was McCain.

Whether your objection is based on a candidate being pro-choice, anti-second amendment, bad record on health care, an unfaithful spouse or too this or not enough of that the end result is the same. Bob Dole or John McCain.

Somehow we manage to shoot ourselves in the foot every time. Our problem is that we have no comparative, just superlative. One guy is pro-life and pro 2nd amendment and is a good speaker, but oh no, he voted to raise taxes one time. Another guy has never voted to raise taxes, been a lifetime member of the NRA, but oh no, he's not outspoken enough on the abortion issue. We go down the list finding something about every one that we don't like. Everybody ends up finding someone they like, but there aren't enough of them who like any one of the candidates so we end up with the one who is disliked least by the most. That's bass-ackwards, we need to go with the one who has the most to like.

And we can't learn from experience. Who is the one person who has brought us the most success in the last 40 years, other than Ronald Reagan? Newt Gingrich. Say what you want about his morals, he and he alone was responsible, with a large helping of Rush Limbaugh, led the Republican revolution. The Contract with America was his, as was the idea of buying a full page ad in Reader's Digest, and having all the Republicans gather on the steps of the Capital to kick off the election season. He's the one who took on Jim Wright. The list goes on and on.

Of course he became the lightning rod for the MSM/Left/Liberals. Just like Bill Clinton became the lightning rod for conservatives. But look at the difference between how we handled the Left going after Newt with how they handled us going after Bill Clinton. Newt suddenly found himself with precious few friends in Washington. Clinton, on the very day he was impeached, found himself on the South Lawn of the White House surrounded by the entire Democratic leadership.

Look at where we are today and tell me that we wouldn't have been better off sticking with Newt, or going with Rudy, etc.

You can see it right here in FR. Say something nice about anyone except Ronald Reagan and you find yourself being flamed in several posts.